1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a series of novel salt complexes that are made by neutralizing a fatty ammonium compound which is cationic with an anionic compound, producing a salt complex, and an inorganic salt. The compounds of the invention are water soluble, non-irritating to the eye and skin and are well suited to personal care applications.
2. Arts and Practices
Fatty quaternary compounds commonly called quats, are tetra-substituted ammonium compounds where each of the four groups on nitrogen are a group other than hydrogen. If any hydrogen groups are present, the compounds are not quaternary amines, but rather are primary or secondary amines.
The most commonly encountered substituents are alkyl and alkyl amido groups. There are several classes of quats. The most important are (a) alkyl tri methyl quats for example cetyltrimonium chloride, (b) alkylamidopropyl dimethyl quats like stearylamidalkonium chloride and (c) di alkyl, di methyl quats for example dicetyldimonium chloride and (d) alkyl, benzyl, Di methyl quats like stearalkonium chloride.
There are several undesirable attributes of fatty cationic products.
1. Fatty Quaternary compounds are incompatible with anionic surfactants since an insoluble complex frequently is formed when the two types of materials are combined.
2. Many fatty Quaternary Compounds are eye irritants. The material is minimally irritating to the eyes at concentrations of 2.5%, which limits the concentration which is useful if low irritation is a requirement.
3. Fatty quats are generally hydrophobic and when applied to substrate can cause a loss of absorbance of the substrate. It is not an uncommon situation for a traveler to a hotel to encounter a very soft towel that totally fails to absorb water. This is because the fatty quaternary gives softness but being hydrophobic also prevents re-wet. This situation also can be observed on hair, the conditioner becomes gunky on the hair and has a tendency to build up.
We have learned that many of these negative attributes can be unexpectantly mitigated by making fatty complexes with carboxy fatty alcohol alkoxylates. The preferred complex has to have a molecular weight of over 1000 molecular weight units to obtain the most effective irritation mitigation. The mitigation of irritation, the improved water solubility and the skin feel make the compounds of the present invention highly desirable in personal care applications.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a series of novel salt complexes that are made by neutralizing a fatty ammonium compound which is cationic with an an anionic compound, producing a salt complex having a molecular weight above 1000 molecular weight units. The compounds of the invention are water soluble, non-irritating to the eye and skin and are well suited to personal care applications.
The invention relates to a series of novel salt complexes that are made by neutralizing a fatty ammonium compound which is cationic with an anionic compound, producing a salt complex having a molecular weight above 1000 molecular weight units. The compounds of the invention are water soluble, non-irritating to the eye and skin and are well suited to personal care applications.